Method for tufting brushes and machine for practicing the method



Oct. 20, 1942. H. CAVE 2,299,709

METHOD FOR TUFTING BRUSHES AND MACHINE FOR VPRAC'IICING THE METHOD Filed Feb. 14, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 2/ 2 2 6 4a OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO000000000000 1942- H. CAVE I 2,299,709

METHOD FOR TUF'I 'ING BRUSHES AND MACHINE FOR PRACTICING THE METHOD File d Feb. 14, 1940 s sheets-sheet 2 52.6 ee //VII/E 7-0;? 3 27 71 H. CAVE Oct. 20, 1942.

METHOD FOR TUFTING BRUSHES AND MACH INE FOR PRACTICING THE METHOD H. CAVE Oct. 20, 1942.

METHOD FOR TUFTING BRUSHES AND MACHINE FOR PRACTICING THE ME'lg-IOD Filed Feb. 14, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 X yo\ Oct. 20, 1942.

H. CAVE METHOD FOR TUFTING BRUSHES AND MACHINE FOR PRACTICING THE METHOD Fild Feb. 14, 1940 Y 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 QA /VE'Y Patented Oct. 20, 1942 METHOD FOR TUFTING BRUSHES AND MA- CHINE FOR PRACTICING THE METHOD Henry Cave, Hartford, Conn assignor to The Fuller Brush Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application February 14, 1940, Serial No. 318,891

22 Claims.

My invention relates to mechanisms for the manufacture of brushes of the bristle type, and an object of my invention, among others, is the production of simple and effective means for rapidly producing brushes of a superior type as to quality. 1

One form of a machine embodying my invention and in the making and use of which the process herein disclosed may be carried out is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a machine embodying my invention, parts above those shown being omitted.

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing some of the parts omittedfrom Fig. l.

Figure 3 is a view on section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 33' of Fig. 2.

Figure 4- is a view on enlarged scale in side elevationof a portion of the machine illustrating the bristle feeding mechanism and a mecha nism for transferring bristles to the magazine.

Figure 5 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is an isometric View of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a top view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 'l--'! of Fig. 5.

Figure 8 is a similar view on a plane denoted by the dotted line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Figure 9 is a plan view of a portion of the magazine conveyor.

Figure 10 (sheet 5) is an isometric view of a part of the structure shown in Fig. 9.

Figure 11 (sheet 4) is a top plan view of the magazine and brush conveyors at the filling station point.

Figure 12 is an edge view of the same with certain portions omitted.

Figure 13 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line l3-!3 of Fig. 11.

Figure 14 is a view in section one plane denoted by the dotted line I4-l4 of Fig. 11.

My invention contemplates the collection'of a plurality of bunches of brush material suitable for tufts arranged in a row or in rows in substantially the positions they will occupy in each row in a brush head and then successively or otherwise inserting each row in sockets provided for them in said brush head. The tufts may'be inserted in the brush head by a single operation with or without the intermediary of a: transfer device.

I further contemplate the collection of small bunches of material froma stored mass, said bunches being spaced apart inrows, which plates or by other means; manufacture these blocks are made in sectionsbunches are simultaneously doubled into tufts in a collector and which are then deposited in several rows side-by-side in a magazine in an arrangement which they are to have in a brush head, and from which magazine they are simultaneously forced into a brush head. This process also contemplates the simultaneous collection for difiere'nt-brush heads of as many rows of bristles as are contained in a single head and progressively arranging enough rows for a single brush head side-by-side and then successively securing each of the different arrangements in brush heads, whereby a brush head is filled each time a row of tufts is formed and each time the row of tufts is deposited beside its companion row of tufts, collecting said rows, depositing them side-by-side, and placing them in a brush head being evenly timed and continuous.

In the drawings the numeral l0 denotes side members of a carrier comprising two sprocket chains of the endless type and which may be supported by sprocket wheels, not herein shown, but which may be of any of the types commonly used at the present time. Carrier plates H, secured at opposite edges to and between the sprocket chains, have openings within which magazines I 2 in the form of blocks are located, these blocks being somewhat smaller than the openings to provide for movement of the blocks laterally of the plates. The blocks are supported for sliding movement upon a run l3 upon which they travel when propelled by the carrier For convenience of secured together as bybolts or pins M as shown in'Fig. 4, and'the blocks are provided with holes [5 for. the reception of tufts of bristles which a'refolded or doubled into the holes in a manher to be presently described. The machine herein illustrated is particularly equipped for making tooth brushes in which three rows of bristles are commonly employed running lengthwise of the head of the brush, and the magazine to comply with this requirement is provided with three rows of holes, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9.

Hoppers l6 containing bristles l l are supported in any siutable manner as upon frame members It, only parts of the frame shown herein and other parts not being necessary to an understanding of the invention being omitted. Three of the hoppers l6 are provided located one back of the other as particularly illustrated in Fig. 3, each hopper supplying the bristles for a single row of holes in the tooth brush.

A bristle feed in the form of a bar I9 is mounted for reciprocating movement between guides 25 secured to the supports H! as shown in Fig. 5. The feed bar I9 has a rib 21 extending lengthwise along its center, said rib being provided with notches 22 to catch the bristles as they are pressed by a weight upon the bristles within the hoppers into said notches. The feed bar i9 is reciprocated in any suitable manner, not shown herein, and the carrier has also imparted to it a step-by-step movement, likewise not shown, as not necessary to an understanding of the invention, the pauses of the carrier being for the purpose of insertion of the bristles into the magazines in a manner to be hereinafter described.

There being three rows of holes in the brush a hopper is provided to supply bristles for each row of holes and three sets of notches disposed lengthwise in the rib 2| are provided, one set for each row of holes. In the brush shown there are nine holes in the middle row and eight in each of the outside rows. The sets of holes at the extreme right and left of Fig. 2 containing eight notches for eight bunches supply the tufts for the outside rows of holes and the intermediate set of notches in said rib contains nine notches to supply the nine tufts for the central row of holes in the brush. The guides 9 direct the magazines i2 gradually to one side as shown in Fig. 2, the direction of movement of the carrier being shown by the arrow. The openings in the plates H for the magazines l2 being somewhat larger than the magazines, as hereinbefore described, permit a lateral movement of the magazines to receive the tufts of bristles in each row at their lengthwise centers. As an example, the rib 2| engages the tufts shown at the left of Fig. 2 at their lengthwise centers for insertion in a manner to be hereinafter described in the left hand row of holes in the brush as viewed in Fig. 11. The guides then direct movement of the magazines to the left, considering the direction of movement of the carrier, to receive a set of bristles at their lengthwise centers for the center row of holes in the brush, and the magazine is then moved farther to the left as shown at the right of Fig. 2 to receive a set of bristles at their lengthwise centers for insertion in the righthand row of holes in the brush. The guides then direct the magazines back to their original positions at the right of the center of the carrier.

As hereinbefore remarked there is a hopper to supply bristles to each row of holes in the magazine and which are subsequently transferred to holes in the brush head. There are likewise three sets of mechanisms for transferring the rows of bristles from the bristle feed l9 to the magazines, there being one set for each hopper and a description of one will therefore suffice for all, as they are all of the same construction and operation. The frame [8 supports a wire cutter slide 23 which is reciprocated on the frame member I8 as by means of a lever 24 which may be operated in any suitable manner, not herein shown. This slide has a slot 25 for the reception of a tuft and wire inserting plate 21 i supported by a wire and tuft inserting plunger 26 operating between guides 28 as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. The plunger 26 is reciprocated in any suitable manner by mechanism not herein shown and which is not necessary to an understanding of the invention. The slide 23 operates between guides 29 and has an opening or slot 39 for the reception of a strand 8 ofwire cut from a length manually or mechanically fed through an opening 3| in the guide 29, as shown in Fig. 6. A cutting die 32 is formed as a part of the guide 29 on one side of the positioning slide and cooperates with a cutter die 23 on the slide 23 to sever the lengths of wire. This die 23' forms a part of the slot 25 which may be closed by a front plate 59. The guides for the bristle feed may be provided with lifters 33 rising from the guides on opposite sides of the bristle feed for engaging the bristles and raising their outer ends, as shown in Fig. 5, to assist in the doubling operation.

In the'operation of the machine thus far described the bristle feed I9 has intermittent movements each of which comprises a movement back and forth underneath the three hoppers [6. The

several sets of notches in the rib 2| are filled with bristles and these sets of bristles come to rest opposite a transferring mechanism. Each of these transferring mechanisms is then timely operated to move the slides 23 to cut and move a strand of wire into the position shown in Fig. 5, said strand being cut from a length of wire placed in the opening 3|, as hereinbefore described. As the tufts approach the transferring mechanism and their ends ride up on the guides 33, as shown in Figure 5, said tufts are held in position by the apex of a holder 34 of angular shape as shown in Figure 5. Immediately following the movement of the slides 23 the inserting plate 21 of each transferring mechanism is moved downwardly through the slot 25 and a registering slot 35 in the holder '34, into contact with the bristle tufts, said inserting plate continuing its movement through a slot 36 in the bristle feed 19. The slot in said feed has a set of sockets 31 spaced apart and each of a size to receive one of the several tufts as they are forced through the bristle feed and into a magazine. This operation of the mechanism of the first transferring station simultaneously fills the sockets 15 in one of the slots 38 in the magazine as the latter is momentarily halted for the purpose, the tufts in the bristle feed collected from the first hopper shown at the left in Fig. 3 and at the left of the one shown in Fig. 4 being inserted in the row of holes on the left of the magazine, as shown in Fig. 9. As the magazine moves to the transferring mechanism appurtenant to the next or second hopper, the guides 9 (see Fig. 2) shift the magazine to the left as one faces in the direction of movement, of the carrier and to the position shown by the middle set of tufts in Fig. 2 so that the center row of holes will be in vertical alignment with the rib 2| on the bristle feed I9. The next step-bystep movement of the magazine will shift it laterally further to the left to the advanced point shown at the right of Fig. 2, and for the same purpose, at which point all of the three rows of holes in the magazine will have been filled. From this point the magazine is moved to a further advanced point in which movement the guides shift the magazine back in line with its first position shown at the left in Fig. 2, in which further advanced point the magazine is in position for transferring of the three rows of bristles simultaneously to a brush back in a manner and by mechanism now to be described. This operation just described is continuous, tufts being simultaneously inserted in a magazine at each of the transferring mechanisms.

When the magazines reach the filling station at the extreme right as shown in Fig. 2, they are locatedover a brush conveyor and the bristles are simultaneously transferred from the three rows in the magazines to three rows of holes of duplicate construction in a brush head 39 as they succesively reach this point just above described. This brush conveyor is similar in construction and operation to the bristle carrier hereinbefore described and includes two lengths of sprocket chains 40 each of. which carries a number of carrying frames for brush supporting blocks 4|. These frames are spaced apart at equal distances along each chain and they are arranged in pairs, the members of each pair being oppositely located on the two chains. These frames each comprises a base 42 with posts 43 spaced apart lengthwise of the chain and rising from the base, said posts comprising slides for the brush supporting block 4|, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12 of the drawings. The blocks 4| are cut with notches at their corners to fit the posts to hold them in place in their vertical sliding movement on the posts. The blocks have crosswise extending holes to receive supporting rods 44, said rods being rigidly supported and extending through said holes so that the blocks may be slidfreely along therods and the latter through the medium of the blocks support the lengths of sprocket chains and' prevent them from sagging at the point where the transfer of the bristles from the magazines to the brush heads is effected. The blocks are provided with holders 45 to engage the brush heads and retain the brushes in position during the operation of assembling the bristles in said heads.

The brush conveyor comprising the chains 40 has a step-by-step movement imparted to it by mechanism not herein shown but which will be readily understood, as it may be of any desired type common to conveyors of this sort. After the blocks 4| moved by the brush conveyor approach a point centrally underneath the bristle carrier, as shown in Fig. 11, said blocks are freed from the=supporting rods 44 and pass on to positioning rods46 secured to the upper ends of block lifters 41' oppositely positioned in slideways in a lifter. support and between posts 48 and a lifter block 49 supported on a base- 59 as shown in Figs. 13 and 14 of the drawings. The lifting of the brush supporting blocks 4| is effected by meansv of a toggle. mechanism comprising two links and 52, respectively pivotally attached at their outer ends to the lifters 41 and the lifter block 49 and pivotally connected at their adjoining ends. The pivot conecting the adjoining ends of the links has a lifting rod 53 attached thereto and this lifting rod may be reciprocatingly operated by any; suitable mechanism (not shown and not necessary for an understanding of the invention), it being understood that the rod will be operated in timed relation to the movement of the brush-conveyor to swing the links into aligned position as shown in Fig. 13 to raise the blocks 4 with a brush head 39 thereon upwardly against themnder side of amagazine I2, when the carrier and conveyor are at rest in the position shown .in Fig. 13 constituting a filling station.

Atthis filling station a plunger 60 operated :and supported in any suitable manner in timed relation with respect to the movements of the carrier, and conveyor operates to eject the brist-les' from the magazines I2, an ejecting and filling platelilhaving fingers 62 being secured to the plunger 'for this purpose. The plate and fingers are supportedin a guide 6.3. havin a slot for this purpose, this guide being supported ongthefls.

frame of the machine inany suitable mannerznot herein shown but which may be readily understood. As the carrier and conveyor come to the position shown'in Figs. 13 and14 the plunger Bil is operated to force the fingers into a magazine I2, thereby. forcing the tufts of bristles from the magazine and filling them into sockets in the brush head 39 in a manner that will be readily understood.

After the brush supporting blocks 4| with brush heads 39 thereon leave the filling station in which the bristles are inserted in the brush heads, as shown in Fig. 11, said blocks and brush heads arrive at an ironing station as shown at the left in Fig. 11. It will be remembered that when the bristles were inserted in the magazines at the transferring station, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, wires were supplied within the bends of the bristle tufts through the bristle feed l9 into the magazines and from the magazines into the brush heads. ,In the latter case these wires are each placed in a slot 56 extending lengthwise of a row of holes in the brush head so that they are located slightly below the upper surface of the brush heads, or of tits 5! which may be formed on opposite sides'of each slot. At the ironing station above mentioned a heater 54 is located and this heater maybe of any suitable form with heat supplied electrically or otherwise, suchheat being conveyed to ironers 55 comprising plates spaced apart to be received between the tufts in each lengthwise row of tufts in a brush head, as shown in Fig. 11. The brush head is formed of a material that will soften under a low temperature as compared with that which would damagethe bristles. The ironers 55 are beveled at-their side edges so that they will readily enter between the bristle tufts and as the brush heads are momentarily halted in contact with the ironers the tits 5'! at the slots 56 in the brush heads which contain the wires are ironed over such wires to secure the latter firmly in place and thereby secure, and hold the tufts in place in thebrush head.

While the means illustrated herein and just described for securing wires within the grooves in the brush heads to secure the bristles in place discloses use of heat to soften material of which the head is composed to enable it to be formed over the wire within the grooves, I contemplate that this result may be attained without the use of the heat, and any means for deforming the material so that it may be caused to enter the grooves and secure the wire in place will come within the spirit and intent of my invention.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the device which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative and that the invention maybe carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out. f-

I claim:

1. A method for tufting brushes that embodies a continuous operation ofremoving a row of separate and divided tufts from a mass of brush material in one position, transferring said row to another position and there inserting said tufts in entrance ends of different open-ended sockets in a magazine, moving said magazineto a position adjacenta brushheadeand then simultaneous y. forcinethe tufts out of theu pn site ends. f

the sockets into said brush head to be secured therein.

2. A method for tufting brushes that embodies a continuous operation of removing rows each comprising separate and divided tufts from a mass of brush material in one position, transferring said rows to other positions and there inserting them in entrance ends of different openended sockets arranged in rows side by side in a magazine, moving said magazine to a position adjacent a brush head, and then simultaneously forcing the rows of tufts out of the opposite ends of said sockets into said brush head to be secured therein. r

3. A method for tufting brushes that embodies a continuous operation of successively filling rows of open-ended sockets arranged side by side in a magazine and into the entrance ends of said sockets with separate and divided tufts of brush material in oneposition of the magazine, then moving said magazine to a position adjacent .a brush head, and then simultaneously forcing the roWs of tufts out of the opposite ends of the sockets in the said brush head to be secured therein.

4. A method for tufting brushes that embodies a continuous operation of simultaneously filling rows of open-ended sockets in different magazines and into the entrance ends of said sockets with separate and divided tufts of brush material with each magazine in one position, then moving said magazines to other positions, and there simultaneously arranging other similar rows of tufts successively side by. side in said magazines, then moving said magazines to positions adjacent brush heads and then successively, forcing the tufts out of the opposite ends of said sockets in each of the magazines into said brush heads to be secured therein.

5. A' method for tufting brushes that embodies a continuous operation of arranging bunches comprising separate and divided tufts of brush material in a row, successively depositing a plurality of said rows in entrance ends of open ended sockets in a magazine in one position, moving said magazine to another position adjacent a brush head, and then simultaneously forcing all of said rows out of the opposite ends of said sockets into said brush head to be secured therein.

6. A method for'tufting brushes that embodies a continuous operation of simultaneously arranging a plurality of bunches comprising separate and divided tufts of brush material, in rows, successively depositing said rows in entrance ends of similar rows of open ended sockets in a maga- 2.;

zine in one position, moving said magazine to another position adjacent a brush head, and then simultaneously transferring all of said rows from the opposite ends of said sockets to a brush head to be securedtherein- '7. A method for tufting brushes that embodies a continuous operation of simultaneously arranging groups of bunches comprising separate and.

divided tufts of brush material in rows, simultaneously depositing said rows in rows of open ended sockets in different magazines each in one position, moving said magazineto another position adjacent a brush head, and simultaneously transferring all of the rows of tufts from the opposite ends of said sockets in each magazine to a brush head to be secured therein.

8. A method for tufting brushes that embodies a continuous operation of collecting with a mov-' ably mounted collector bunches comprising separate and divided tufts of material from a mass of brush material, said bunches to be arranged, side-by-side in a plurality of rows, folding ,said

ously folding said bunches through openings in the collector and out of the opposite side-thereof and successively arranging several rows "side by side in entrance ends of open ended sockets in a magazine and then simultaneously transferring all of said rows from the opposite ends of said sockets to openings in a brush head to be secured therein.

10. A method for tufting brushesthat embodies a continuous operation of collecting by the operation of a movably mounted collector bunches of brush material arranged in rows in said collector, placing a Wire upon said bunches, forcing said bunches and wire through the collector and out of the opposite side thereof thereby folding the material about the Wire and into entrance ends of open ended sockets in a magazine, and then simultaneously forcing said tufts and the wire from the opposite ends of the sockets in the magazine into sockets in a brush head to be secured therein.

11. A method for tufting brushes that embodies a continuous operation of folding bunches comprising separate and divided tufts of brush material arranged in a row about a wire and forcing said tufts and Wire into entrance ends of open ended sockets in a magazine in one position, moving the magazine to another position adjacent a brush 'head and there simul taneously forcing said tufts and wire out of the opposite ends of said sockets into sockets connected by'grooves in a brush head, and then ironing the edges of a groove over said Wire to secure the Wire and tufts in place.

12. A method for tufting brushes that embodies a continuous operation of successively, arranging bunches of brush material comprising separate and divided tufts in rows, placing a wire upon said bunches and then by pressure forcing said Wire and folding the bunches there about successively into entrance ends of open ended sockets connected by slots arranged in rows side by side in a magazine in one position, thereby creating tufts, moving said magazineto ananother position adjacent a brush head, then forcing all of said wires and tufts simultaneously out of the opposite ends of said sockets into sockets connected by slots and arranged in rows side by side in said brush head, and then ironing the edges of said slots over the wiresto secure the latter and the tufts in place in said brush head.

13. A method for tufting brushes that consists in passing a notched and perforated collector underneath a hopper vertically supporting a mass of brush material above said collector for the collection therein on one side thereof of bunches of material arranged in a row, then forming said bunches into tufts, and then forcing said tufts through the collector and out of the opposite side thereof and depositing said tufts arranged in said row in a row of sockets in a brush head.

14. A method for tufting brushes that consists in passing a notched and perforated collector underneath a hopper vertically supporting a mass of brush material above said collector for the collection therein on one side thereof of bunches of material arranged in a row, forcing said tufts through the collector and out of the opposite side thereof into a row of open ended sockets in a magazine, and then transferring the row from the magazine to a row of sockets in a brush head.

15. A method for tufting brushes that consists in folding bunches of brush material arranged in a row about a wire into a plurality of tufts comprising said row, then inserting said row into a row of sockets connected by a slot to receive said wire in a brush head, and then deforming the substance of the brush head between said sockets to overlie said wire to secure said tufts in said brush head and to close said groove between the sockets from the collection of foreign matter.

16. A machine for tufting brushes, said machine including a reciprocably mounted notched collector bar for collecting bunches of brush material arranged in a row from a mass of such material, a movably mounted magazine, means for forming said bunches into tufts, means for placing a wire in the folds of said tufts, means for transferring said tufts and wire to said magazine, means for transferring said tufts and wire from the magazine to sockets in a brush head, and means for deforming the substance of said head to overlie said wire and secure said tufts in said brush head.

17. A machine for tufting brushes, said machine including a reciprocably mounted notched collector bar for collecting bunches of brush material arranged in a row from a mass of such material, a movably mounted magazine, means for forming said bunches into tufts, means for transferring said tufts from said collector bar to said magazine, and means for transferring said tufts from the magazine to sockets in a brush head.

18. A machine for tufting brushes, said machine including a reciprocably mounted perforated notched collector bar for collecting bunches of brush material arranged in a row from a mass of such material, a movably mounted magazine, means for forcing said bunches through the perforations in the collector bar to form the bunches into tufts therein, and to transfer said tufts to said magazine, and means for transferring said tufts from the magazine to sockets in a brush head.

19. A machine for tufting brushes, said machine including a reciprocably mounted perforated notched collector bar for collecting bunches of brush material arranged in a row from a mass of such material, a magazine mounted underneath said collector, means for forcing said bunches through the collector to form the bunches into tufts and into said magazine, means for imparting another movement to said magazine to locate it adjacent a brush head, and means for transferring said tufts from the magazine to sockets in the brush head.

20. A machine for tufting brushes, said machine including a reciprocably mounted notched perforated collector bar having a plurality of sets of notches for collecting bunches of brush material arranged in rows from masses of such material, a magazine mounted underneath said collector bar, means for moving the magazine lengthwise underneath said collector bar, means for forcing said tufts through the bar into the magazine, means for imparting lateral movement to the magazine, and means for forcing the tufts out of the magazine into a brush head.

21. A machine for tufting brushes, said machine including a reciprocably mounted notched collector bar for collecting bunches of brush material arranged in a row from a mass of such material, a magazine mounted for lengthwise movement under said collector bar, means for transferring tufts from said collector bar to said magazine, means spaced from said transferring means and movably mounted to receive brush heads, and means for forcing said tufts through the magazine and into said movably mounted brush head.

22. A machine for tufting brushes, said machine including a reciprocably mounted notched collector bar for collecting bunches of brush material arranged in a row from a mass of such material, a carrier lengthwise movably mounted underneath said collector bar, a magazine mounted on said carrier and having perforations therethrough, means for transferring said tufts from said collector bar into the perforations in the magazine, a brush head carrier mounted for movement transverse to the direction of movement of the magazine carrier, means for supporting brush heads on said brush head carrier, and means for forcing the tufts out of the perforations in the magazine into perforations in said brush heads.

HENRY CAVE. 

